Machine for forming hard fiber.



No. 797,459. PATENTED AUG.15, 1905. 0. e2. RUPERT MACHINE FOR FORMING HARD FIBER APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11.1902.

2 SHEETB-$HEET 1 6 x w m I w L I J I Q Ill y I Fq is? W 0 W H WITNESSE3: INVENTOR 2 K CHARLES GWUPE'RT No. 79?,459. T PATENTED AUG.15, 1905 0., G. RUPERT. MACHINE FOR FORMING HARD FIBER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11. 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET. 2.

N I g0 WTT\ i m A l T WITNESSES: TNVENTOR I L CW/IRAESGLKUPERT vwr w 25? BY ATTORNEYS TTNlTTlED STATES PATENT OFT ICE.

CHARLES G. RUPERT, OF VVTLMINGTON, DELAWARE, ASSIGNOR TO l.)ELA- \VARE HARD lElBRE COMPANY, OF VVlLMlNGrTON, DELAWARE, A COR- PORATION OF DELAVVARF.

WWTUMIINE If-"Uf-l IFQl- KIVIIING HARD FIBER...

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed June 11,1902. Serial No. 111,196.

.To all 1077,0111, it may concern Be it known that T, CHARLES H. RUPERT, a citizen of the United Eitates of America, residing in lNilmington, in the county of N ewcastle, State of Delaware, have invented improvements. in Machines for Forming Hard Fiber, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for forming sheets of hard liber bypassing a Web of paper through a chemical treating-bath and winding the impregnated paper up onto a heated forming-cylinder with the aid of a heated 1')ressure-roll, which presses the superposed layers together to form a sheet of the desired thickness.

The object of my invention is to so construct the machine as to facilitate the manufacture of the sheets and to improve the product.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved machine, and Fig. 2 is a diagram.

in fiber-forming machines as now constructed the pressure-roll rests upon the top of the formingcylinders, and the weight of the pressure-roll is depended upon to give the desired pressure. Thus, on the one hand, the pressure cannot be varied, and, on the other hand, the diameter of the formingeylinder, and consequently the length of the sheet to be formed, are limited by the fact that the pressure-roll is on top and must be not only convenientlyaccessible to the operator but within the height of the room.

il so combine my pressrn-eo-oll with my forming-cylinder that the roll shall be at the side of instead of on the top of the formingcylinder, and I combine with the roll mechanical means for applying pressure, such means being adjustable so that the pressure can be varied. Furthermore, ll provide means whereby the pressure-roll may be positively driven, so that I am enabled to start the winding of the web onto the forming-cylinder with greater certainty than where the frictional contact with the forming-cylinder or the web being Wound thereon has to be relied on. l. also provide means whereby the stripping of the formed sheet from the cylinder is greatly facilitated.

A is the hollow steam-heated forming-cylinder, which is provided with the means for rotating it, as by'a pinion B on a power-driven shaft B, gearing into a gear-wheel A (inclicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1) on the shaft or end trunnion of the cylinder. This cylinder is mounted to turn in suitable bearings in side frames 0.

D is the hollow steam-heated pressure-roll at the side of the forming-cylinder. This roll is mounted in hearings in two side levers E, pivoted at a to a fixed frame F. To press the roll D against the periphery of the formingcylinder, suitable mechanical pressure-producing means are to be used, such as weights or springs; but I prefer the use of adjustable weights, and for this reason the levers E are formed as bell-eranks, the lower arms E of which are weighted. These arms carry horizontally-adjustable weights ('ii', whereby the degree of pressure of the roll D of the forming-cylinder may be varied.

The described construction of levers with weights has the advantage that it insures a uniform pressure in the production of any given kind or quality of fiber netwithstand' ing the movements of the pressure-roll toward or from the axle of the foruling-cylinder, due to the varying thickness of fiber layers. 1 also provide means whereby the pressure-roll D may be moved clear of the forming-cylinder or the material thereon when desired. fln the present instance .1 have illus' trated for this purpose links or rods H, slotted at their lower ends to take around pins /1, on the bell-crank levers E E. The upper ends of the links H are screwthreaded and pass freely through bosses on the side frames and are threaded into hand-wheel nuts H. By turning these nuts the arms E of the bellcrank levers may be raised or lowered and the pressure-roll 1) thus moved away from or toward the forming-cylinder A.

J indicates a roll of paper to be treated. The web unrolled from this roll J passes around a guide-roller l; and over the steim1-heateddrying-drum K and thence through the chemical bath in the tank M. The impregnated web thence passes, as indicated by the arrow, over the top of the pressure-roll D to the forming cylinder, on which it is wound up on the spiral layers until a hard-fiber sheet of the desired thickness is obtained. The traveling web is then severed at a point in advance of the pressure-roll, and the revolution of the formingcylinder under the pressure of the roll D is continued a suitable length of time to get the ring or layer of fiber properly formed on the cylinder. The formed cylinder of fiber is then cut on a line parallel with the axis of the forming-cylinder A and the sheet is stripped from the cylinder. To facilitate this stripping operation, I provide a long traveling table T on rollers t, traveling on the ways beneath the forming-cylinder. This table should preferably be in length about equal to the circumference of the forming-cylinder, although this is not essential. As will be understood best by reference to diagram, Fig. 2, when the fiber ring has been formed upon the cylinder A and it is ready to be stripped one cut end X of the fiber sheet is held by any suitable means on the forward edge of the table and then the latter, with the sheet thus fastened to it, is traversed in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, as the cylinder revolves in the direction of its arrow. By this means the stripping of the sheet is rendered comparatively easy, notwithstanding the great diameter of the forming-cylinder and the consequent large size of the sheet.

In order to facilitate the starting of the winding of the web onto the forming-cylinder, I provide means (independent of the means for driving the cylinder A) whereby the pressureroll D may be positively driven, as by a powerdriven pinion (Z, gearing into a gear-wheel (.Z on the shaft or end trunnion of the roll. Means should be provided for throwing the power onto and off this driving-pinion (Z and similarly onto or off the driving-pinion B, so that either the roll D or the cylinder A, or both, may be stopped when desired. The gearing should be such that the surface speed of the roll D shall be equal to the surface speed of the cylinder A. In making very thick fiber sheets the fiber layers on the forming-cylinder will get so thick that there will then be an appreciable difference in surface speed between the roll D and the fiber layer on the cylinder. On such an occasion it becomes necessary to throw out the driving-gear of the roll D after starting and to let the roll continue its revolution by frictional contact only.

I claim as my invention- 1. The herein-described machine for forming hard-fiber sheets, comprising an impregnating-tank, ahollow heated forming-cylinder and heated pressure-roll,means for driving the forming-cylinder, independent means for driving the pressure-roll, levers carrying the latter, adjustable weights to act on the levers and mechanical means for setting and holding the pressure-roll away from the cylinder against the action of the weights.

2. The herein-described machine for forming sheets of fiber, comprising an impregnating-tank, a heated forming-cylinder and a heated pressure-roll with means for driving the forming-cylinder and independent means for driving the pressure-roll.

3. The herein-described machine for forming sheets of hard fiber, comprising an impregnating-tank, a heated forming-cylinder, and a heated pressure-roll with a table traveling back and forth underneath the formingcylinder and adapted to aid in stripping the formed sheet as the cylinder is rotated, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES Gr. RUPERT.

IVitnesses:

J. H. BROWN, SAML. IsnNscHMID. 

